Workshop SCULPTURAL PROCESSES: Papier-mâché by Emily Hunt

The course will begin with a short introduction into history of papier mâché as resourceful and unique technique used throughout history in China, Mexico and Europe. Papier mâché is an economical building material for a variety of traditional and ceremonial activities, as well as in arts and crafts.

We will turn to look at resourceful contemporary artists that use this technique in their work, for effect and scale. Contemporary artists such as Agnes Scherer, Katie Stout, Raquel Caballero, Margot DeMarco, Roberto Benavidez, James Morrison and Will Kurtz. I will also discuss the uses of papier mâché in my own practice, as a substitute for wood and for its affordability. To begin the practical course, we will start to construct our sculpture, thinking about whether it will be a pedestal, shelf or frame. The course will cover a technique that is thoroughly tested for strength and speed.

Duration: May 07 – 08, 2025

Hours: Each day from 10 AM – 12:30 PM

Seats: Max. 20 | Language: English

Fees: The participation fee is €90 per person including material (without accommodation).

The fee is VAT-exempt by the Governing Mayor of Berlin – Senate Chancellery Higher Education and Research pursuant to Paragraph 4 No. (21) (a)(bb) UStG (German Value Added Tax Act).

In this course, participants will learn the invaluable skill of creating large, lightweight sculptures that are both cost-effective and quick to produce. This technique can be applied to a variety of contexts, including exhibition installations, sculpture, and furniture or display design. Over the course of two days, participants will work quickly and intuitively to create a finished piece, providing them with a practical foundation for incorporating this skill into their artistic practices.

Day 1: Papier Mâché: The most underrated artist technique

The course will begin with a short introduction into history of papier mâché as resourceful and unique technique used throughout history in China, Mexico and Europe. Papier mâché is an economical building material for a variety of traditional and ceremonial activities, as well as in arts and crafts. We will turn to look at resourceful contemporary artists that use this technique in their work, for effect and scale. Contemporary artists such as Agnes Scherer, Katie Stout, Raquel Caballero, Margot DeMarco, Roberto Benavidez, James Morrison and Will Kurtz. I will also discuss the uses of papier mâché in my own practice, as a substitute for wood and for its affordability. To begin the practical course, we will start to construct our sculpture, thinking about whether it will be a pedestal, shelf or frame. The course will cover a technique that is thoroughly tested for strength and speed.

Day 2: Papier Mâché: Painting & Collage

On the second day we will look to the collage and papier mâché known as découpage. We will discuss craft techniques being incorporated into ideas around artmaking. We will discuss the question between art and craft, how vintage books are useful idea points, how to source materials. We will look at artists such as Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt who uses foil from packaging in his work, Sarah Goffman who uses the thrown-away plastic bottle, Buster Cleveland, Aurora Robson and Shari Mendelson and other artists who utilise what Philip K.Dick called ‘The Trash Stratum’ for their inspiration and material. On the second day we will paint or collage the pedestal, shelf or frame and then discuss the results with the other participants.” (Text by courtesy of Emily Hunt)

Emily Hunt (born Sydney, 1981) creates ornamental, figurative ceramics. Her history as a rare-book dealer has informed her encyclopedic approach to her art-making, taking influences from the history of ornament, visionary art, big-ego personalities and scholarly magical texts. She creates world-building installations that reflect automatism in ceramic forms. Her work articulates the concept of the collapse of a macro & micro world view, and walking as a magical tool. From 2017 to 2018, she created large new body of ceramics and etchings for exhibition in Second Sight: Witchcraft, Ritual, Power at UQ Art Museum (AU). Her etchings were installed on alongside Hans Baldung Grien and Albrecht Dürer. The invitation to create work for an exhibition about witchcraft was a turning point in her research and Hunt started to delve into the earliest representations of women as witches. The result has been her on-going fascination into the history of western esotericism, magick and the occult in print history.

More information on the Emily Hunt Website and on Instagram.